Chances and Choices

In Chances and Choices, Stephanie Pitts surveys the aims and impact of formative musical experiences, evaluating the extent to which music education of various kinds provides a foundation for lifelong involvement and interest in music. Pitts draws upon rich qualitative data from her own extensive original study of over 100 adults with an active interest in music in the UK and Italy to address several key themes in the study of music education. Intertwined with discussion of topics such as music education policy and the role that music teachers and other role models play in nurturing musicians are first person 'interludes' that showcase the stories and voices of the research participants as they reflect upon the influences and opportunities that shaped their musical life histories. Pitts' analysis adds valuable context to these stories, illuminating the historical and contemporary debates about music education and proposing ways in which school music might better prepare young people for continued participation in music throughout their lives. A companion website contains Pitts' data sets and analytical frameworks; the website also features an interactive database through which readers can share their own musical life histories and search others that have been contributed there. Shedding new light on the long-term effects of music education, Chances and Choices is an important resource to understand how we can encourage lasting engagement with music and other cultural activities in every individual.

Dr Stephanie Pitts is Reader in Music at the University of Sheffield. She is the author of A Century of Change in Music Education (Ashgate, 2000), Valuing Musical Participation (Ashgate, 2005) and, with Eric Clarke and Nicola Dibben, Music and Mind in Everyday Life (OUP, 2010).

Chapter 1: Investigating the impact of music education 1.1 Whose story? Defining and interpreting musical life histories 1.2 Aims, scope and limitations 1.3 Approaches to data collection and analysis 1.4 Existing research on musical life histories 1.5 Global perspectives on music education 1.6 Structures and voices in this book
Interlude A
Interlude B
Chapter 2: Learning across generations: musical childhoods in twentieth century Britain 2.1 Lifelong learning: a reasonable aim for music education? 2.2 Life histories in context: British music education in the twentieth century 2.3 Generational trends in formative musical experiences 2.3.1 1930s-1950s: gramophones, piano lessons and school assemblies 2.3.2 1960s-1970s: encouragement and independence2.3.3 1980s-1990s: musical pluralism and exploration2.4 Historical trends, current debates 2.4.1 Classroom music2.4.2 Music outside the classroom2.4.3 Teacher and parent attitudes2.4.4 Music in the home2.4.5 Lifelong learning and involvement
Interlude C
Interlude D
Chapter 3: Locations for musical learning 3.1 Where musical learning happens3.2 The characteristics of supportive musical environments3.3 Extra-curricular music-making3.4 Musical self-education 3.5 An Italian perspective - music as specialist education3.6 Summary: situated learning for music
Interlude E
Interlude F
Chapter 4: Inspiring, affirming, challenging: significant people in musical learning 1064.1 What makes a memorable classroom music teacher?4.2 Instrumental teachers as mentors4.3 Parents as role models and mentors4.4 Siblings, extended family and friendships as sources of musical learning4.5 Learning from learning: becoming teachers and parents 4.6 Summary: musical supporters and role models
Interlude G
Interlude H
Chapter 5: Opportunities and outcomes in lifelong musical engagement 5.1 Musical routes and roots5.2 Becoming music educators5.3 Becoming music-makers5.4 Becoming adult learners 5.5 Becoming listeners and concert-goers5.6 Summary: foundations for lifelong musical involvement
Interlude I
Interlude J
Chapter 6: Rhetoric and reality: the real impact of music education 6.1 Overview: learning from life histories6.2 Historical rhetoric and remembered reality6.3 Contemporary rhetoric and future opportunities6.4 Summary: relevance and timelessness in musical learning
Interlude K Interlude L
Chapter 7: Chances, choices and conclusions 7.1 Chances and choices in musical education7.2 The usefulness of life history approaches7.3 Recommendations and future directions
Postlude Glossary References
Index